


The Boggart, the Wizard, and the Wardrobe

by princehuangss



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Aurors, Brief Mentions of Blood, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Post-Hogwarts, kind of you'll see, much fluffier than it sounds trust me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:29:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27210484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princehuangss/pseuds/princehuangss
Summary: Jeno and Renjun were proud to be the youngest yet most accomplished pair of Aurors in the Ministry. They completed their field assignments quickly and efficiently, with an almost perfect success rate.The pair is brought, one day, to the Shrieking Shack, to apprehend a notorious Azkaban escapee. Needless to say, it doesn not go nearly as expected.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Comments: 12
Kudos: 117
Collections: '00 FIC FEST ROUND TWO





	The Boggart, the Wizard, and the Wardrobe

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #00313 (I'm not including the full prompt because it's kind of a spoiler haha enjoy!)
> 
> Thank you so much to the prompter for this prompt, I had so much fun writing it!! Also thank you so much to admin bom for writing this, your hard work is much appreciated!

Jeno took the stairs leading up from Charing Cross tube station two at a time. He didn’t even pause to admire the lovely Autumn weather when he emerged onto Whitehall, instead moving to weave his way through the horde of muggles commuting to work.

“I’m late, I’m late, he’s going to _kill me,”_ Jeno muttered under his breath, checking his watch for the hundredth time that morning. Renjun had enchanted this particular watch so that it would show Jeno exactly how long it would take him to get to work each morning. He had done so in hopes that Jeno would actually be on time, but it wasn’t always effective.

He hurried off down the street, briefcase in one hand and the other stuffed in the pocket of his robes, hovering over his concealed wand. He remembered at the last second to take a turn down one of the side streets, and nearly tripped as he took a ninety-degree turn.

The street that the little red phone booth sat on was thankfully just as unpopulated as usual. It would be a chore to explain to every muggle passerby why the inside of the booth seemed to sink into the ground before their very eyes.

Jeno hopped inside the phone booth and inserted a coin. The ground quickly rose up around him as the booth descended into the ground, and in the blink of an eye, he was in the heart of the Ministry of Magic.

As usual, the Ministry was abuzz with the mid-to-late morning rush. Enchanted paper airplanes with important notes whizzed by overhead, and many of Jeno’s coworkers called out a good morning to him as he hurried by. Jeno tried to return them as briefly as he could, for he still had somewhere to be.

He climbed into the elevator just as the doors began to close. The only other person in the compartment was Chenle, who seemed to be struggling with a large carrying crate. Every so often, a little spurt of flames would come shooting out of the breathing holes on top.

Jeno smiled. Chenle was a new addition to the ministry, fresh from Hogwarts. He always seemed to have endless patience and enthusiasm for his line of work, despite being in one of the most volatile departments.

“What have you got there, Lele?” Jeno queried, gesturing to the box.

Chenle blushed at the nickname. “Oh, just a— just a baby dragon that had to be confiscated from some students at Hogwarts.” Chenle peeked into the crate, and narrowly avoided a flame breath to the face. “Poor thing,” he cooed, “she must be scared to death!”

Jeno snorted. _Cute_ was the last adjective he’d use to describe a fire-breathing dragon, but then again, that was Chenle for you.

The both of them startled when the elevator came to a sudden, grinding halt. 

“Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures,” a robotic female voice stated.

“Well, that’s me!” Chenle hopped out of the elevator, before turning to wave to Jeno at the last moment.

The doors closed and the elevator was moving once again. One floor, two floors— Jeno tapped his foot impatiently.

At last, the elevator doors opened, and the voice announced their arrival at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Jeno took off in a near sprint down the hall, skidding to a halt at the sign that read “Auror’s Office”.

He peered cautiously into the large open room scattered with little cubicles. There were many witches and wizards already roaming the room and occupying their desks. Hopefully Jeno would be able to slip to his desk without Mark, the head of the Auror Department, noticing his lateness.

When Jeno finally reached his desk and shoved his briefcase beneath his chair, he heard a loud snort from the desk in front of him.

Jeno sighed. “I know, I know. This is the third time this week that I’ve been late.”

“The Floo Network is always an option,” Renjun sang.

“You know that the dust makes me sneeze,” Jeno moaned, “Besides— I like walking to work. It’s relaxing.”

Renjun giggled again and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “Alright, you big baby.”

Jeno’s brain was telling him to bite back at the teasing jab, but all he could do was smile dopily. Renjun’s hair was getting a bit long; the freshly dyed pink strands almost completely covered his eyes, and he was starting to put it up in little ponytails when they went on assignments. 

Jeno certainly didn’t mind the look— in fact he thought Renjun pulled it off quite nicely— but that was precisely the issue. He kept getting distracted during work and one of these days it was going to get him killed out on the field. 

Whoever thought that making Jeno and Renjun partners was a good, productive idea should get their head thoroughly checked.

Renjun dropped a manila folder in the center of Jeno’s desk, breaking him free from his thoughts. “We’ve got a field assignment to take care of today,” he announced, propping his chin up with his folded hands like he did when he got excited. Renjun always preferred field assignments over the tedious desk work. “It’s that Azkaban escapee that Mark and Jaemin were discussing last week.”

Jeno hummed, curiosity piqued. “They found where he is?”

Renjun nodded. “The department has received tips that he might be hiding out in the Shrieking Shack. We’ve been tasked to apprehend him.”

“The Shrieking Shack, of course.” Jeno rolled his eyes. “Can’t they think of something new? Or at least something slightly less predictable?”

Renjun chuckled, already out of his chair and slipping his wand into his wool cloak. “One of these days, hopefully, they’ll learn a new trick. In the meantime, let’s go visit a haunted house.”

*

Despite Jeno’s chronic inability to arrive at work in a timely manner, he and Renjun were two of the most highly revered aurors in the department. They were still young, only having completed their training four years prior, but their efficiency and seamless teamwork had earned them the respect of their peers. Renjun was even vying for the spot as Head Auror, since their current one, Mark Lee, would be transitioning soon to head of the entire Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Jeno, of course, was Renjun's biggest supporter.

As Jeno and Renjun strode out of the department dressed in their official auror’s robes, Jeno reckoned that this might just be _the_ mission that would sway whether or not Renjun got the promotion. Jeno vowed that he would do his best to make today successful.

“So, here’s what I’m thinking,” Renjun began as they entered the main atrium of the Ministry, “The only entrance to the Shrieking Shack is at the base of the Whomping Willow, and that’s on Hogwarts grounds. I say we apparate straight to the front gates of Hogwarts.”

Jeno nodded. “That’s our best choice, since the protective magic around the grounds doesn’t allow us to apparate directly within.”

“Exactly.”

“Does Headmaster Lee know we’re coming?”

Renjun frowned. “Probably not. I’ll send a patronus along to inform him.”

Jeno watched as Renjun drew a sweeping curve through the air with his wand. A beautiful silvery fox erupted from the tip, bounding through the air before circling back to Renjun’s side. It glowed like the moon and showered delicate specks of light in its path.

Renjun had been mastering both his nonverbal spell casting and his patronus charm since their fifth year at Hogwarts. Now, at least ten years later, Renjun’s patronus was truly a sight to behold. The sleek animal perfectly complemented Jeno’s own dog patronus.

Renjun quickly whispered his message to his patronus, and then the animal was bounding away and out of sight. Once it was gone, Renjun turned back to Jeno with a grin. He held his arm out for Jeno to grab hold of. “You ready?”

*

Jeno and Renjun arrived at the Hogwarts’ front gates luckily all in one piece. They stumbled to a stop, and Jeno paused for a moment to quell the rising nausea in his throat. He was still getting used to the sensation of apparating, even after all these years.

Once Jeno had gotten a good foothold, he let his eyes sweep over the grand gates in front of them. They were tall, made of stone and wrought iron, and massive stone eagles guarded either side, their wings held in a regal manner.

Beyond them were the woods through which the Thestral-drawn carriages brought students every year at the beginning of the term. Jeno recalled with a chuckle the first day of their 6th year; he and Renjun had both laid claim to the same carriage, and both of them were too stubborn to relent to the other. The end result had been one very silent, very awkward carriage ride between them and their friends.

Jeno was shaken from his thoughts by the arrival of Headmaster Lee.

The man came jogging up to the gate, huffing and puffing. His hair was a fresh shade of platinum blonde, yet he looked just as stressed as Jeno remembered.

“Hope— Hope you two haven’t been waiting too long,” Headmaster Lee wheezed, “Had to ensure proper safety measures were in place at the castle. You know, with an escaped convict in such close proximity—”

“ _Allegedly_ nearby,” Renjun interrupted. “We have many tips that led us here, but we can’t know for sure until we scout the area out.”

“Of course, of course,” The headmaster muttered under his breath before he suddenly straightened up and smiled, as if remembering who he was speaking to. “Well, it’s been awhile since I saw the pair of you. It’s a pleasure to see you doing well.”

“The pleasure’s all mine, Headmaster.” Renjun bowed, and Jeno quickly followed.

“Oh, please. Call me Taeyong.” Headmaster— _Taeyong_ — gestured for them to follow as he turned and began walking back towards the castle. “It’s amazing to see how accomplished the both of you have become. I knew you both had it in you; two of the smartest students Hogwarts has ever seen.”

Jeno’s face went beet-red, and Renjun’s face looked the same.

“It’s also lovely to see you two— well— _getting along_ so much better now.”

If it was possible, Jeno and Renjun’s faces went even redder at the headmaster’s words. Renjun looked like he was about to stutter out a response, but Taeyong beat him to it.

“Well, this is where I’ll leave you.” Jeno hadn’t even realized, but they had already arrived at the castle. The Whomping Willow swayed undisturbed a little way’s away. “You know how to reach me if there’s anything you need. Good luck you two, and please, keep in touch!”

Once they had bid Taeyong their goodbyes, Renjun turned back to Jeno. The red of his face had been replaced by a grin and a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and he linked arms with Jeno.

“He’s right you know,” Renjun said, “Who knew it would only take a four-year Auror Training program and a work partnership for us to get along?”

Jeno laughed. “I suppose it became easy, once we weren’t competing.”

During their years at Hogwarts, when Jeno had been a Hufflepuff and Renjun a Ravenclaw, they had upheld a rivalry that would’ve made even the Gryffindors and Slytherins jealous. They were both too stubborn and competitive for their own good, and to top things off, they had both been the top of the year in academics.

Together, they made the worst rivals but the most formidable pair.

Jeno and Renjun ducked beneath the flailing branches of the Whomping Willow with practiced ease. Before Jeno knew it, they were making their way along the Underground passage towards the Shrieking Shack, led by the luminated tip of Renjun’s wand.

Jeno had never actually been inside the Shrieking Shack before. He had observed it from afar many times on weekend trips to Hogsmeade, Jaemin and Donghyuck at his side. The two Slytherins had always whispered conspiratorially about what horrors must have been inside, and Jeno had simply rolled his eyes at their antics.

Donghyuck and Jaemin’s imaginations of the place were nothing compared to the real thing. Jeno felt a shiver run down his spine as he followed Renjun over the threshold. His job had put him in many heart-racing situations, but somehow this house awakened a whole different monster of uncertainty inside Jeno.

Maybe it was the building’s history. Maybe it was because he had no idea what to expect, what about this place was rumor and what was fact.

Renjun stared with disgust as a rat skittered out from beneath a smashed-in grandfather clock. _Well, at least one of them wasn’t too concerned,_ Jeno thought. Yet again, Renjun had always been the more fearless of the two.

“Alright,” Renjun whispered, “You begin scanning the first two floors, I’ll take the top two. Whoever finds the guy first will send up an alert, alright?”

Jeno nodded and tried to swallow down his apprehension. “Alright, sounds good.”

Renjun began to turn away, but at the last second, he wrapped his arms around Jeno’s torso and squeezed him in a hug. Jeno stood in shock for a moment, but slowly moved his arms to wrap around the shorter boy’s shoulders.

“Good luck in there,” Renjun mumbled into his shoulder, before letting go and whisking away up the stairs.

Jeno stood frozen in place for many moments after Renjun had disappeared. Renjun didn’t usually hug him before going into assignments.

If Jeno hadn’t been filled with anxiety before, then he sure as hell was now. Nevertheless, he forced himself down the first darkened hallway, casting a _Lumos_ spell to guide the way.

*

A nerve-wracking half an hour later, and Jeno had thoroughly scanned the first two floors of the Shack. And while he had found more than enough creepy critters and enough dust to cover the entirety of Hogwarts castle, he had found no trace of an escaped convict in hiding. That meant if the escapee really was in this building, then he would be on one of Renjun’s assigned floors. Jeno swallowed and began his ascent to the third floor.

It was completely silent, save for the creaking of the floorboards as Jeno crept along.

“Renjun?” he squeaked, “Renjun, you there?”

No response.

He poked his head into a few rooms, staying cautious and alert. The rooms were filled with rotting furniture and moth-eaten curtains, but no signs of life.

Jeno was about to move on to the fourth floor when he heard a noise that he had hoped he’d never have to hear— a bloodcurdling scream, unmistakably Renjun’s.

Jeno’s mind instantly went into overdrive. His feet were moving before he’d even registered what happened, and he was bolting for the source of the noise. His mind was racing a mile a minute; he had absolutely no idea what he would find, but he hoped to whatever gods were out there that it wasn’t nearly as bad as it sounded.

_Renjun, Renjun, Renjun._

The last door on the third floor, the only one he hadn’t gotten to yet. It was slightly ajar, and Jeno threw it all the way open so quickly, the doorknob smashed right through the wall.

_Renjun!_

The room was completely empty except for a massive wooden wardrobe in one corner and Renjun, crumpled in a heap right in the center of the room.

Blood; it was everywhere. Seeping from Renjun’s side, soaking his cloak and the floor around him. Renjun wasn’t moving.

“Oh my god,” Jeno managed to choke out.

He surged forward, knees hitting the ground with a thump. Everything felt numb.

“Renjun, please.” Jeno scooped Renjun’s head into his lap. His hands fluttered around, unsure what to do, yearning to scoop the other boy’s entire being into his arms and never let go.

Renjun finally noticed Jeno’s prescence. His eyes cracked open— slowly, like it pained him— and a weak smile spread across his face when he was met with Jeno.

“Long time no see,” Renjun gasped. He let out a weak laugh, but Jeno could see the immediate regret in his eyes when it was immediately followed by a pained wheeze, and a hand flying to his abdomen. “Hurts.”

The gash in Renjun’s side was too deep. Despite his lengthy repertoire of spells, Jeno couldn’t think of a single one that would be of any use right now. There was too much blood, and every time Renjun moved a muscle, it just got exponentially worse.

“Okay, Renjun— Don’t move, alright? It’s gonna— It’s gonna be okay, just—”

Renjun shook his head. “Jeno, it’s fine. There’s nothing you can do.”

“Don’t _say_ that!” Jeno’s limbs were heavy, and his shouts were broken. He didn’t want to believe it; he felt helpless as he watched the only person he had truly been in love with slip between his fingers.

Renjun reached one shaky hand up to cradle Jeno’s cheek. Jeno leaned into it, not caring that tears were now streaming down his face, mixing with the blood on Renjun’s hand.

“Just— promise me. Promise me that you’ll be okay.”

“I can’t do that!”

“Jeno, _please.”_

Jeno’s harsh sobs were the only sounds filling the room for many long moments, before he finally forced out an, “I promise.”

Renjun blinked, slowly and easy as if he had all the time in the world. His smile was so peaceful, and he stroked the lines of Jeno’s cheekbones as if he were memorizing them.

“You know, if there’s one regret from my life,” Renjun croaked, “It was not telling you I loved you sooner.”

Jeno wanted to say so much. He wanted to say that he regretted it too; so many years he had wasted being hostile and competitive with Renjun, and not enough time spent exploring everything about the other boy, every charming habit and quirk that came with time spent together. If only, _if only…_

Instead, he simply whispered, “I think I always loved you, even back then. I always will.”

The thump of Renjun’s limp hand hitting the floorboards sent a stab of red-hot pain through Jeno’s chest. His ears were ringing as he pulled his lover’s lifeless body closer to his chest.

His mind was fuzzy with pain and grief, so much so that he barely noticed the door swinging open, and the gasp that came with it.

Jeno only turned his head when his name was spoken, in a voice that was unmistakable.

“Jeno, what happened?” Renjun’s voice came stuttering. Jeno whipped his head around and sure enough there he was, standing bewildered in the doorway as if nothing had happened. Renjun’s eyes were wide at the sight of Jeno’s tear-soaked face, but they grew to the size of saucers at the sight of the limp body in Jeno’s arms.

The body was still there.

The Renjun in the doorway seemed to catch on quicker than Jeno. His brows furrowed and he waved his wand through the air, pointing it directly at the motionless Renjun in Jeno’s arms and shouting, “Riddikulus!”

The body in Jeno’s lap exploded into a pile of snowy white kittens. The little creatures stumbled out of Jeno’s lap on their unsteady paws, mewling in confusion as they all made their way into the only piece of furniture in the room— the massive wooden wardrobe in the corner.

Renjun— the _real_ one— stormed over to the wardrobe, muttering about _goddamn boggarts_ all the while. He slammed the doors shut and cast a quick _Colloportus_ spell to make sure it wouldn’t open again on its own.

“We’ll have to report that boggart to the ministry,” Renjun began, “But the good news is that the Azkaban escapee does not seem to be—”

His words were cut off when Jeno let out another shuddering sob.

Jeno couldn’t take his eyes off the other boy. Only moments before he had been holding his mangled body, watching as he turned lifeless in his very arms. Now, Renjun was standing before him as if nothing had happened. Relief and confusion were a swirling hurricane in Jeno’s head, and he stayed frozen, knelt on the floor.

“Oh, Jeno,” Renjun whispered, his face softening as he came to kneel next to Jeno.

Renjun’s soft concern only set Jeno off even more.

“Renjun— you— you were _dead._ ” The words felt like knives in his throat. Renjun pulled Jeno into his arms, and despite being considerably larger, Jeno curled himself up as small as he could to fit into his boyfriend’s arms. “I don’t— I don’t even know what’s going _on_ —”

“Shh, Jeno, it’s alright,” Renjun soothed, and a pang was sent through Jeno’s chest as he heard the emotion thick in the other boy’s voice, “I was upstairs finishing the search when you encountered the boggart. I’m honestly surprised I missed it… I’m so sorry, Jeno.”

“It’s not your fault, I’m just pathetic.”

Renjun yanked at a chunk of Jeno’s hair without breaking the hug. Jeno let out a surprised squeak.

“Don’t you dare say that, Lee Jeno,” Renjun reprimanded, “Everyone has fears, and anyone can be affected by a boggart. If it had been me and not you, I probably would have seen my childhood neighbor’s evil dog Max. I might have seen the Minister of Magic, or that one clown from that muggle movie you made me watch.”

Jeno couldn’t help but crack the smallest of smiles. “What, Pennywise?”

“Don’t say his name!” Renjun shudders, obviously playing it up, but it made Jeno feel better, nonetheless.

Renjun was quiet for a few moments, and Jeno felt his fingers drawing rhythmic circles onto his back, the way he did when he was deep in thought.

“I might have seen you, deciding that I wasn’t good enough. Leaving me behind.”

Jeno sat back, shocked. He took in the worry clouding his boyfriend’s normally sparkling eyes, and suddenly he felt the overwhelming need to protect again. Jeno cupped Renjun’s cheek in his hand, and his heart swelled at the way the boy leaned into his touch, completely at ease.

“You know I would never do that, right?”

Renjun smiled. “Of course. But deep down, don’t we all have that irrational fear that the ones we love will leave us behind?”

Jeno nodded.

“And as unpleasant as it is to have to witness my own dead, mangled body in the arms of my distressed boyfriend, it does make me feel a little flattered that losing me is your worst fear.”

Jeno went beet red and a small smile made its way onto his face. “I love you Renjun.”

Renjun grabbed Jeno’s face and pulled him in for a brief kiss. Jeno practically melted at the feeling of his lover’s lips on his. Even more than their cozy little shared apartment in the center of London, with their two cats and humorously large collection of magical memorabilia, Renjun’s lips felt like home.

“I love you too, Jeno. More than you’ll ever know.”

*

It wasn’t until they had made it back to their shared apartment and in front of a crackling fire did Jeno feel truly at peace.

He had insisted on clutching Renjun’s hand like a lifeline all the way back to the ministry, which thoroughly amused the boy. Upon explaining the events of their excursion to Mark, the Head Auror agreed that they deserved a day’s off to rest, and promptly sent them home, not before praising them for a job well done.

“We didn’t even find the guy,” Renjun had protested with a smile.

“Doesn’t matter,” Mark had returned, “The effort you put forth today was unparalleled, and now we can check one place off of our list.”

Jeno buried his nose into the silky fur on the back of Bongsik’s head. He had no idea how the old cat let him shower her with affection as if she were a plush toy, but he was eternally grateful.

Renjun was curled up in the armchair next to his, with a Magic Theory book propped open on his knee and a steaming mug of tea matching Jeno’s. When they had first returned home Renjun had instructed that Jeno make himself comfortable while he made them tea. Jeno had protested at first, hesitant to let Renjun out of his sight, but Renjun had reassured him that all was fine, and nothing would happen to him in the few minutes he was gone.

The warmth had crept up his toes and through his body, making his eyelids feel heavy. His hand slowed where it stroked Bongsik and he didn’t even notice when he began to nod off.

“Ready for bed?” Renjun suddenly spoke from beside him, startling Jeno awake. “You’ve had quite the stressful day; you must be exhausted.”

Jeno nodded sleepily, “You coming too?”

“Of course.”

Bongsik was unhappy when she was roused from her spot on Jeno’s lap but followed them to the bedroom anyways.

When they were finally under the covers with the lights off, Jeno tried desperately to calm his racing thoughts, but his head would not quiet enough to let him fall asleep.

Renjun was facing away from him and his breaths were even. Jeno watched, mesmerized, at the way his boyfriend’s back rose and fell with each gentle breath, and he cursed at the way his throat closed up, tight with emotion.

Jeno focused on the little things about Renjun— the warmth radiating from him, the little puffs of air exhaled through his nose— that normally slipped by unnoticed. He found himself incredibly grateful for each and every one of them.

Jeno wrapped his arms around Renjun’s middle and pulled him tight to his chest. If he could, he would never let go of the smaller boy again.

Renjun suddenly shuffled in Jeno’s arms and turned to face him. Renjun’s eyes were wide open, filling with confusion as he reached one hand up to stroke Jeno’s cheek.

Oh, so he hadn’t been asleep.

“You okay, Jen? You’re not usually this clingy at night.”

Jeno hummed. “Just having a hard time falling asleep.”

Renjun’s eyes filled with an understanding and he nodded resolutely. “Today was really tough. I couldn't imagine having to go through that.” Renjun’s face screwed into a tiny frown at the thought, and Jeno wanted to kiss it away. “Do you want me to sing for you?”

Jeno nodded with fervor; Renjun’s voice was ethereal, and sometimes Jeno was convinced he was secretly a siren in disguise. He had been the star of the frog choir during their time at Hogwarts, and now Jeno got him all for himself.

As Renjun began to sing, Jeno buried his face into the top of Renjun’s head. He breathed in the smell of Renjun’s hair, remnants of the honey-scented shampoo they had bought together in Diagon Alley lingering. Renjun’s soft voice reverberated through Jeno’s chest where his face was nestled.

“I love you,” Jeno mumbled for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He knew what Renjun would say in return, so he didn’t even bother to wait for an answer before letting his heavy eyelids fall shut and his mind finally succumb to sleep.


End file.
